Album Notes

Ralf Kleemann fell deeply in love with the Celtic harp and has combined a diversity of medieval, classical and modern elements into his very own style. He presents traditional European and Celtic music with a fresh spirit and unexpected turns. Next to well-known standards, his program consists of a growing number of his own original compositions. Expect the unexpected: Ralf leaves plenty of room spontaneous impulses and playing with the actual sound of his harp, so that the audience will discover this rare instrument from a completely new angle.

With “Tides,” Ralf Kleemann presents his second solo album with New Celtic Harp music, after receiving continued positive feedback for his debut CD, "Phrydotia".
“Tides” features 12 pieces, new and of their own kind, that display the full character of the Celtic harp. The different moods of “Tides” were inspired by the Irish Atlantic coast, where he lived for five years.

Ralf teaches Celtic harp and holds classes and workshops about Arrangement, Improvisation and Jazz. He has regularly been part of international music festivals in Germany, France and Switzerland. Other projects include a series of high-quality recordings of harps and other instruments in acoustic spaces, and some harp building endeavours, including a new type of pedal harp.

The 'New Celtic Harp' is an evolutionary redesign of traditional instruments with more generous proportions and a construction that is fully optimised for a rich, liquid, pleasant, soothing sound.